The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1887-12-01
|;tmoat and q chill cIept through my

throat and q chill cIept4 through my
body efplt
"What foolishnessl thought i; the
castle is deserted; my family has. gone
to the city. No matter, as am here,
| must arrange myself as well as pos.
slble.
Sand | crossed Il hall and went TO
my fathers room. A llre half extin-
gulshed was smoking III the chimney;
by it's faint light . saw my father, my
mother and my four sisters, seated
around the fireplace: they rose when
they perceived me. III ram to kiss my
father;he stopped me withla gesture;
extended my arms to my mother; sho
fell back With sad motion Of the.
head. called my sisters, each seper-
ately; they took each other by the hand
without answering NO. Then the whole
Of them returned to their seats
"Do not you know mo auy norel ex-
claimed T.. Us it like family ought
to receive q son and q brotherp Have
you already heard OF my entrance in
tho Russian servlcop l could not re-
fuse. Remember that the first thing 1 do
ls to come and inform you OF my action.
Whatl my father, you do not speaI;2
My mothe, you keep silent? Have You
forgotten, my sisters, our mutual tend
erness and tho plays or our childhood
---those plays that this place has wit
messed so oftenp' s
'At those iast words my SISTERS ap.
peared to be moved. They spoke lo&' !
rose and signaled me to approach Oie
of them knelt before my mother as if
she wanted to playsa .game in which,
the players strike each other. Sur
prise'l with this strange fancy in II mo-
ment SO solemn, touched the hand OF
my sister with the end Of my whip. Al
mysterious force attracted NO.
"When my time came to kneeI be.
fore my mother and to put my head op|
her. lap-oh. horror! j felt form
angular and cold under her silk dress.
| heard sharp noise like the rattling'
OF bones, and then hand met mine;
that hand rested in 1t. 1t was a akele-
toms hand. II uttered Il cry OF terror.
They were human remains that shook
convulsiye1y. &g.3U a}u
"Out Of myself, and with ~ disturbed
mind, ! ran away from this awful
castle; in the yard Found my horse.
mounted and departed at a furious
pace. At the break of the day luy steed
fell dead, and my servant found me,
senseless, lying under the animal.
was at THO point or ueutn for over
three weeks. When recovered my
health ! learned that my family hail
perlshed, the victims Of this pitlless
Seven Years. War, and that our manor
had been pillagcd and ransacked many
times.
81 returned to fGross Renzow.
! wanted to pay tho last duties to my
| family and to give decent burial to
those I loved so dearly, Notwlth-
standing the most minute researches I
was unable to find their sacred re.
mains. Alone, q hand, 81 woman's
hand, holding a gold bracelet, was
| picked up on the floor in my fathers
room, tho same room where the fatal
| vision appeared to me. L took that
bracelet. this very one and the hand
was buried in the chapel of the castle.
"NIany years passed. Two months
ago was asleep Oh this sofa when |
was awakened by q slight noise.
opened my eyes, aud saw distinctly my
father, my mother and four sisters
standing before me-; my sisters took
each other by the hand and motionel
me TO join them
"'No, mol neveri cried /.
"Then the ghosts clasping Shelf
hands, began to turn slowly around
| me.
"'Justice.' said my father passing
before me.
"'Penance, murmured my mother.
| inclining her sad face towards me.
Prayer. ''sald the youngest 3is-
ter
"'Sword, sighed another.
"'Twelfth Of August said the
third
"And the last one repeated:
"Twelfth Of August at midnight
"And again they turned around me,
uttering tho sarno words, then they
vanquished repeating:
"Goodby! Goodbyl The 10 oflthe Aus
CUTS at midnightl'
81 comprehended that my life was
to be accomplished soon, and nothing
more was to be done by me but to
recommend my soul to God and my
family to your majesty"
''My dear marshal, y replied the king,
"what you have related to me is cer~
tainly very extraordinary. Perhaps
fever and delirium have something to
do with these visions Courage; tako
courage; fight against those hallucIna,
J tions and have good hope. You shall
regain your health and you will live
many long years, DO you not believe
mep Yes, is 1t notP Give me your
hand"
And as Blucher did n2t answer, the
King Of Prussia seized his hand,
| It was already cold and rigid
| Midnight struch by the antique
t-1 y - ~ -